Should I buy an Xbox One X even if I don’t own a 4K TV? Early signs point to Yes

Should I buy an Xbox One X even if I don’t own a 4K TV? Early signs point to Yes

I found myself asking that question constantly leading up to the launch of the Xbox One X. I don’t own a 4K TV. I normally play on a smaller computer monitor at my desk instead of a massive living room TV. I play a ton of ID@Xbox titles. Would the Xbox One X still be worth it for me? After a week with the product, this feels like a resounding yes; especially, if you are already a part of the Xbox ecosystem.

Last week we posted a video just showcasing the drastic improvements we saw in some older unpatched ID@xbox games. The results were honestly staggering. Solid games that suffered from minor technical issues, often on higher difficulties or near the end segments, were suddenly running flawlessly. There was no more delay with Mr. Shifty; we could teleport with ease. Victor Vran could rampage through late game Motörhead areas without a second thought. Pixel Piracy, one of the worst offenders, ran smooth. It was honestly impressive to suddenly see games we had enjoyed but had a hard time recommending feel cleaner and crisper. These aren’t games with Xbox One X patches; these games just worked now.

The small things add up quickly. When playing Destiny 2 with a friend, we both noticed I loaded into planets significantly before him. He’d mention slowdown and frames dropping during some public events, but I never had a problem. Even just simple things like loading shaders to test how they looked on armor was infinitely faster.

We plan to give the Xbox One X significantly more use before posting a formal review. We didn’t get our hands on one until launch day and want to make sure we spend a significant amount of time with the product first. But what we have seen so far is impressive. The system feels powerful. A $500 console is expensive but for many hardcore gamers the improvements will add up over time to make it worth it. All while future-proofing yourself for display upgrade to 4K.

A review Xbox One X unit was provided to XBLA Fans by Microsoft.

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John Laster has been writing about video games for almost a decade. He's frequently found streaming on our partnered twitch channel. He's the one obsessively muttering this year is our year in relation to the Chicago Cubs Find me on Google+ or Twitter